Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron Will Meet for the First Time Following Their Clash Over US, UK’s Agreement With Australia

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CARBIS BAY, CORNWALL - JUNE 13: (L-R) U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a plenary session during G7 summit in Carbis Bay on June 13, 2021 in Cornwall, United Kingdom. UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, hosts leaders from the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Canada at the G7 Summit. This year the UK has invited India, South Africa, and South Korea to attend the Leaders' Summit as guest countries as well as the EU.

Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will meet for the first time in Rome on Friday following a major clash over Australia's nuclear-powered submarines last month.

According to reports, Biden and Macron will be joined by 18 others during this week's meeting. The presidents are in Rome for the climate summit.

Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron will discuss several issues

Ahead of the meeting, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser of the White House, said that Biden and Macron's meeting would be constructive and substantive.

The presidents will also tackle various issues like counterterrorism in the Middle East, trade, technology, and economic matters.

Celia Belin, a visiting fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at The Brookings Institution, said that the upcoming bilateral meeting could pave the way for those consultations to lead to concrete announcements.

"The meeting between the two leaders will be the occasion to make some announcements and to see whether or not... this crisis was the occasion to define... a new common agenda, or if there are sort of long, lingering issues that cannot be addressed," Belin told CNN.

After Biden and Macron's meeting, a statement will be released detailing everything that they discussed.

Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron had a brief falling out

Last month, Biden and Macron were faced with tensions after it was announced that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia partnered to assist in helping the latter develop nuclear-powered submarines.

Following the announcement, France released a statement saying that they were not informed regarding the deal beforehand. They also noted that the new partnership jeopardized an existing contract with Australia to provide the country with diesel-powered submarines.

The tensions worsened to the point that France temporarily recalled its US ambassador.

The presidents' phone call changed everything

Weeks later, Biden and Macron reportedly spoke on the phone and settled some important matters. The POTUS acknowledged the missteps in how his administration handled the discussions regarding the partnership.

Biden and Macron also agreed to open a process of in-depth consultations that can help with their decision-making process. Following the presidents' phone conversation, Macron decided to bring back the French ambassador to Washington next week, according to the official statement of the White House.

According to the Associated Press, Biden and Macron have some expectations ahead of Friday's meeting. Macron is reportedly expecting Biden to commit to supporting French anti-terrorist operations n the Sahel region of Africa. Throughout the past couple of months, France has been seeking greater intelligence and military cooperation from the country.

While Biden and Macron are in a meeting, their respective wives will also reunite. First Lady Jill Biden will host Brigette Macron for a bilateral engagement on Friday afternoon.

Emmanuel Macron phoned Joe Biden after he was elected

Prior to Biden and Macron's clash, the two presidents previously had an excellent relationship. Macron was one of the first people who congratulated the POTUS after being elected president in the 2020 election. A statement from the Elysee Palace revealed that Macron also congratulated Vice President Kamala Harris, according to France 24.